1. Field of the Invention
The invention is directed generally to devices and methods for collecting and concentrating light emanating from outer space and celestial bodies, including, but not limited to, stars, planets, moons, and comets. More specifically, the invention involves interstellar light collection apparatus and methods for collection, selection of component wavelengths (e.g., through dispersion), and application of interstellar light to matter for investigative purposes.
2. Background of the Invention
Since the dawn of time, “light” (i.e., the electromagnetic spectrum) has been instrumental in everything from photosynthesis to modern photography. Solar light has been harnessed in photovoltaic cells to create electricity, light has been manufactured artificially to promote plant growth, and even non-visible light has been used in various medical applications such as X-rays and tumor detection devices.
Indeed, a large quantity of background reading is available on the subject of the industrial and medical application of light (see, for example, National Research Council, Harnessing Light: Optical Science and Engineering for the 21st Century, National Academy Press, 1998; Kaler, James B., Stars and Their Spectra: An Introduction to the Spectral Sequence, Cambridge University Press, 1989; Scranton, Bowman, & Peiffer, Editors, Photopolymerization: Fundamentals and Applications, American Chemical Society, 1996; and Kalyanasundaram & Gratzel, Photosensitization and Photocatalysis Using Inorganic and Organometallic Compounds, Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1993).
Current technologies for collecting celestial light involve the use of “light buckets,” i.e., optical receiving telescopes that collect photons but are not diffraction limited. In other words, a light bucket cannot concentrate photons into a very small tightly focused spot.
Accordingly, light bucket technologies are hampered by the inability to concentrate light as would be useful in various methods of application, such as lasers. Moreover, traditional telescopes do not provide a means for dispersing focused light into component spectra for industrial or medical experimentation and application.
Thus, there exists a need for methods and devices for improved collecting, concentrating, and dispersing celestial light.